How do you approach original songs in the live setting?

First and foremost, we’re a live act. I think it’s important to produce good records, but I think it’s even more intriguing to be a great live band. It’s cool to do things in the studio that you may not always do live. I think that makes us better songwriters. Throwing in an extra harmony or percussive instrument is usually the trend. We are pretty committed to making records that sound pure with very little over production.

What about covers, can you talk about what songs you toss in from time to time? Who selects them?

Early on, we would play a few covers to help finance our original project. However, songwriting has always been our primary focus. It is always fun to throw in a tune here or there that helps mark your influences. Songs such as “The Ocean” by Led Zeppelin or “Soulshine” by the Allman Brothers are fun tunes that we can put our own twist to. We all throw out crazy ideas…I guess it just depends on the particular show.

In terms of cover tunes can you talk about any spectacular successes and failures?

Well, let me think…sure. I can think of a couple from back in the day. The one success that stands out in my mind was “Outshined” by Soundgarden. Yes, I said Soundgarden. That song just rocks! We put our own spin on it and it always went over very well with the fans. Failures…well, lets just say that every good cover has its bad moments. I think “Get A Job” by The Greyboy Allstars is a great example. Not that we didn’t stay true to the song’s natural groove, I just think sometimes we tended to overplay while incorporating our own twist. It was still a fun groove though!

How often do you rehearse? What do you focus on when you get together for rehearsal?

We are pretty disciplined when it comes to rehearsals. Depending on our travel and show schedule we really try to maintain two rehearsals a week. It helps to keep things fresh, but more importantly it maintains a consistent writing schedule.

Can you talk about some of your performance highlights thus far. Is there a gig (or gigs) that stand out? Why?

Wow…there’s definitely a lot that stick out. We love to play, so every show to us is special, but I’d have to say one of the more memorable shows was last Halloween with Blues Traveler. The show was in Cincy and couldn’t have been more fun. Popper and the boys are great! It was nice to be back home and play with a band as successful as Blues Traveler.

You just released your Amerian Son EP. Can you talk about the experience and also the challenges of bringing your live energy into the studio for the debut?

Sure. The experience was great. Our organ payer, Bryan Russell, is the owner of RedPoint Studios in Dayton, Ohio, so it was nice to be able to record in a comfortable environment. The EP is a compilation of newer tunes that really fit the mold of our current agenda. For us, the recording process is very similar to performing live. I think some of the greats would agree. I think one of the easiest ways to record is together. You’re able to tweak what you need after the fact. We feed off each other. We didn’t want to break the recording process down too much.

Any final thoughts to folks across the country who may be hearing about you for the first time from this piece?

We are a complete rock band. For those root-rock enthusiasts, I truly believe this band has something for everyone. We are a dedicated set of musicians that love what we do and hope that our unique blend of blues, rock and soul will spread into various markets around the world.

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